NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/comp/os/linux/21348

Text File | 1992-12-22 | 1.7 KB | 41 lines

Newsgroups: comp.os.linux
Path: sparky!uunet!munnari.oz.au!cs.mu.OZ.AU!muse.cs.mu.OZ.AU!cdillon
From: [e-mail] (Craig Dillon)
Subject: Short filenames under Linux
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Keywords: The number fourteen
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Computer Science, University of Melbourne, Australia
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 03:53:22 GMT
Lines: 29

I recently installed Linux and Xfree86 and Tex and was really happy and
getting all keen to do some serious work when I discovered that when I
tried to port our labs image processing library to Linux, all my filenames
were truncated to 14 characters.

Now, I know that there is one standard form of Un*x that has 14 character
filenames - but lets face it - who uses it and is happy? So I know I can't
complain - I'm not. Linux (apart from the filename length) is great, but I
do have the following questions:

(1)    Can the restrictions on the filename length be made a little more
    obvious than an obscure reference on about page 30 of the FAQ?
    Just so that people like me don't get into Linux with the wrong
    ideas about what it can do.

(2)    Does anyone know how to get around the problem? I looked into the
    kernel source, but not being knowledgeable on these things, I can't
    be sure that it would be an easy change or not. I presume not,
    otherwise other people would have done it already. Any clues?

Anyway, I have written a program which automatically ports code to Linux
(just the filename problem, not other conversion difficulties :) ) by
making unique shorter filenames, modifying makefiles, executable names,
source files and include files. Works reasonably well, but it is not 100%
guaranteed. If there is enough interest, I'll tidy it up and make it
public domain.

Cheers,
Craig.